April
April is the fourth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four with the length of 30 days. April begins (astrologically) with the sun in the sign of Aries and ends in the sign of Taurus. Astronomically speaking, the sun begins in the constellation of Pisces and ends in the constellation of Aries. The derivation of the name (Latin Aprilis) is uncertain. The traditional etymology from the Latin aperire, "to open," in allusion to its being the season when trees and flowers begin to "open," is supported by comparison with the modern Greek use of ἁνοιξις (opening) for spring. Since all the Roman months were named in honour of divinities, and as April was sacred to Venus, the Festum Veneris et Fortunae Virilis being held on the first day, it has been suggested that Aprilis was originally her month Aphrilis, from her Greek name Aphrodite, or from the Etruscan name Apru. Jacob Grimm suggests the name of a hypothetical god or hero, Aper or Aprus. The Anglo-Saxons called April Oster-monath or Eostur-monath, the period sacred to Eostre or Ostara, the pagan Saxon goddess of spring, from whose name is derived the modern Easter. St George's day is the twenty-third of the month; and St Mark's Eve, with its superstition that the ghosts of those who are doomed to die within the year will be seen to pass into the church, falls on the twenty-fourth. In China the symbolical ploughing of the earth by the emperor and princes of the blood takes place in their third month, which frequently corresponds to our April; and in Japan the feast of Dolls is celebrated in the same month. The "days of April" (journées d'avril) is a name appropriated in French history to a series of insurrections at Lyons, Paris and elsewhere, against the government of Louis Philippe in 1834, which led to violent repressive measures, and to a famous trial known as the procès d'avrill. April was originally the second month of the Roman calendar and had 29 days. Julius Caesar's calendar reform in 45 BCE resulted in April having 30 days and becoming the fourth month, as the year now began in January. Events in April April 2008 *'April 1' - The Easter Bunny sent more Private Messages to Gaians announcing that it was time to open the Clock Egg, concluding the minuscule Easter 2k8. *'April 1' - Shop update; Rising Sun hairstyles and sets and Multipants released. April 2007 *'April 1' Black Giftboxes containing exploding fake Halos are given to all users in a Rare Event. No storyline update. *'April 6' Easter Event began and ran through Monday, April 9. Gaians collected orange easter eggs and exchanged them for small, medium, or large sized eggs that could be hatched into chicks of corresponding sizes. April 2006 *'April 1' - Storyline update involving Gino and Ian fighting. *'April 4' - Highest Donator contests are no longer allowed. *'April 5' - Housing items update with the first kitchen items avaliable. *'April 7' - Gaia Towns is updated; shovels and nets are no longer needed to collect items. *'April 11' - Item update with the theme of cooking items. *'April 16' - Easter 2K6 commences and lasts a day and a half. *'April 25' - Donation Letters open. *'April 26' - New fishing items are released for the fish exchange. April 2005 *'April 1' - Story line update, death of The Von Helson Sisters. *'April 24' - April 2005 donation items were released. *'April 28' - Gaia Fishing 1.5 was released, fishing now multiplayer. April 2004 * April 1 - April Fools 2k4. * April 11 - Easter 2k4. * April 25 - April 2004 donation letters. * April 30 - Go-Gaia became Gaia Online. April 2003 *'April 1' - The Personals are created. *'April 20' - The first Easter event. *The trading system is introduced. *The Exchange forum is created. *Pink Links are added. Donation Items of April * 2004 - Hammi Hat and Bammi Hat * 2005 - Prism Butterfly Mantilla and Chestplate of Arachne * 2006 - G-BOT and Sun Staff * 2007 - Lunar Scythe, Aquatica, and Oculus Magica External Links April - Wikipedia Article of April Category:Months